Blueberry plant named &#39;Perpetua&#39;

ABSTRACT

Description and specifications of a new and distinct ornamental blueberry cultivar that originated from seed produced from open pollinated flowers of CVAC 45 (PI 296412) is provided. This new ornamental blueberry can be distinguished by its ability to flower on new growth, its attractive combination of dark green and glossy leaves, along with flowers and edible fruit in late summer and fall; and it&#39;s vigorous, vase-shaped, compact plant habit.

LATIN NAME OF GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

‘Perpetua’ is a new blueberry plant that is a genus Vaccinium sp. L.hybrid.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The new blueberry plant claimed is of the cultivar denomination‘Perpetua’ containing mostly Vaccinium section Cyanococcus germplasm.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct blueberry cultivarbotanically known as Vaccinium sp. L. and herein referred to as‘Perpetua’, as herein described and illustrated.

This new blueberry cultivar was discovered in Corvallis, Oreg. andoriginated from open pollinated seed of CVAC 45 (PI 296412) in theUSDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository collection in Corvallis,Oreg. CVAC 45 was collected from the wild in 1963 in Monmouth, Me. andis listed as Vaccinium corymbosum L. (highbush blueberry) by theUSDA-ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, Germplasm ResourcesInformation Network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. When CVAC 45 was evaluatedin the collection, it was noted for its small fruit size and autumnfruiting. The plant's characteristics for fruit size, leaf shape, andleaf size are intermediate to those of V. corymbosum and V.angustifolium Aiton (lowbush blueberry). Since both species are found inthe region where the accession was collected, CVAC 45 is presumed to bea hybrid between these two species. Perpetua's overwintering buds breakin the spring, flower and produce a crop like most blueberry plants.Perpetua is unique in that the new growth produces flower buds thatproceed to break bud without winter dormancy and then flower and ripen alate-summer into fall crop. While many blueberries will produce a fewfruit in the fall on 1-2 buds at the tip of the new growth, ‘Perpetua’will flower on up to 12-16 nodes on the new growth. The plant also hasvery dark green and glossy leaves that are very attractive during thegrowing season and that turn deep red in the fall. The combination offlowers, edible fruit, and dark green foliage in the late summer andfall make this plant a particularly attractive edible ornamental. Thenew cultivar has been asexually multiplied annually since 2005 by theuse of stem cuttings. The present invention has been found to be stableand reproduce true to type through successive asexual propagations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Oregon. 1. Ability to flower on new growthwithout any chilling; 2. Attractive combination of flowers and fruit inlate summer and fall; 3. Dark green, glossy, attractive leaves; 4.Edible fruit; and 5. Vigorous and compact plant habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs show typical specimens of the flowercluster in bloom and the dark green glossy leaves (FIG. 1), the fruit(FIG. 2), the range of ripening stages of the fruit from green throughfull ripe (FIG. 3), and a five year old plant with a ripening crop inSeptember (FIG. 4).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following is a detailed description of the botanical and pomologicalcharacteristics of the subject blueberry. Color data are presented inRoyal Horticultural Society Colour chart. London (R.H.S.) (5^(th)edition, 2007) designations.

Where dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, itis to be understood that such characteristics are approximations ofaverages set forth as accurately as possible. ‘Perpetua’ has not beenobserved under all possible environmental conditions.

The descriptions reported herein are from five year-old specimens grownin Corvallis and Aurora, Oreg. with the measurements/observations forone trait always being made on samples from the same location. Theplants used for these observations were planted in 2008.

-   Plant:-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Ericaceae.        -   Botanical.—Vaccinium sp. L. var. ‘Perpetua’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—CVAC 45 (PI 296412), an accession of            Vaccinium corymbosum L. from seed collected near Monmouth,            Me. growing in the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm            Collection (Corvallis, Oreg.). P2 Male parent.—Unknown.        -   Market class.—‘Perpetua’ is suited for the ornamental            landscape market.        -   General.—Bush characteristics were taken from a plot of            plants that had been field planted for 3 years growing in a            test plot near Aurora, Oreg. in the northern Willamette            Valley.        -   Plant height.—0.82 m.        -   Canopy diameter (measured at widest part of the bush).—0.60            m.        -   Plant vigor.—Moderately vigorous; comparable to ‘Little            Giant’.        -   Growth habit.—Short vase.        -   Twigginess.—Moderately twiggy.        -   Tendency toward evergreenness.—Medium, holds leave late into            the fall.        -   Productivity.—In the Willamette Valley in Oregon, ‘Perpetua’            produces 1.83 kg of berries per bush on 3-year-old plants.        -   Chilling requirement.—0 hours on new growth, unknown on            overwintering dormant buds.-   Trunk and branches:    -   -   Suckering tendency.—None.        -   Surface texture new (4-month-old) wood.—Smooth.        -   Surface texture 1-year-old wood.—Smooth.        -   Surface texture 3-year-old wood.—Rough.        -   Color new (4-month-old) wood.—Yellow-Green Group 144A.        -   Color bark 1-year-old.—Yellow-Green Group 146D.        -   Color bark 3-year-old.—Grey-Brown Group N199D4.        -   Internode length.—1.6 cm.-   Leaves:    -   -   Length (including petiole, from tip of petiole to end of            blade).—6.3 cm.        -   Width (at widest point).—3.0 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Margin.—Finely Serrate.        -   Color upper surface.—Green Group N137A.        -   Color lower surface.—Green Group N138B.        -   Glossiness upper surface.—Extremely.        -   Pubescence upper surface.—None visible.        -   Pubescence lower surface.—None visible.        -   Pubescence on margins.—None visible.        -   Balance of leafing versus flowering.—Well balanced.-   Flowers:    -   -   Arrangement.—Flowers are arranged alternately along a short,            leafless, deciduous branch in loose clusters.        -   Fragrance.—Slight.        -   Shape.—Urn to bell shaped.        -   Flowering period in spring from overwintering buds.—Mean            date of 50% open flowers in Aurora, Oreg. is 23 April, 1            week before ‘Bluecrop’.        -   Flowering period in summer from buds on new growth.—1^(st)            week July until hard frost.        -   Average number of flowers per cluster.—12.6.        -   Pedicel.—Length on flowers from overwintering buds in spring            at time of anthesis: 0.39 cm. Length on flowers from buds on            new growth in summer at time of anthesis: 0.15 cm. Color:            Green Group 144C.        -   Peduncle.—Length on flower clusters from overwintering buds            in spring at time of anthesis: Highly variable, 0.81 cm.            Length on flower clusters from buds on new growth in summer            at time of anthesis: 0.97 cm. Color: Green Group 143C.        -   Corolla.—Diameter of tube (at widest point): 0.71 cm. Length            of tube (from base to tip of corolla): 0.98 cm. Aperture            diameter: 0.41 cm. Surface texture: Smooth. Color at            anthesis: White Group 155A.        -   Calyx.—Diameter (at widest point): 0.69 cm. Surface texture:            Smooth. Color at anthesis: Green Group 142C.        -   Flower length (from pedicel attachment point to corolla tip            excluding pedicel).—1.15 cm.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Style length (top of ovary to stigma tip).—0.79 cm.        -   Pistil color.—Green Group 142B.        -   Location of tip of stigma relative to lip of the            corolla.—Stigma tip is 0.19 cm inside the opening of the            corolla tube.        -   Pollen.—Abundance of shed: Moderately high. Color:            Yellow-Orange Group 18B.        -   Self fruitfulness.—High. In greenhouse pollinations, set 68%            with selfed pollen and 65% with bulk pollen from several            genotypes. Should set a crop without cross pollination.-   Fruit:    -   -   Date of 5% ripe fruit.—Crop from spring bloom: 18 June. Crop            from summer bloom: 12 Sept.        -   Date of mid-harvest of main harvest in fall.—8 Oct.        -   Diameter of calyx aperture on mature berry.—0.59 cm. The            calyx aperture has a 0.28 cm depression from the berry            surface to the point where the pistil is attached to the            ovary.        -   Pedicel length on ripe berry.—0.35 cm.        -   Peduncle length on ripe berry.—Highly variable, 0.12 cm.        -   Detachment force for ripe berries.—Low.        -   Number of berries per cluster.—Medium is 6.        -   Cluster.—Loose.        -   Berry weight.—1.2 g per berry compared to 2.3 g per berry            for ‘Bluecrop.        -   Berry height.—1.17 cm.        -   Berry width.—1.29 cm.        -   Berry shape.—Subglobose, wider than long.        -   Berry surface color mature berries.—While on the plant:            Violet-Blue Group 98C. After Harvest: Blue Group 102C. After            polishing: Blue Group 103A.        -   Berry surface wax.—Present, medium amount.        -   Berry flesh color.—Yellow-Green Group 148C.        -   Pedicel scar.—Medium, not dry.        -   Firmness.—Medium, not firm.        -   Flavor.—Typical but mild.        -   Texture.—Fair; seeds can be noticeable.-   Seed:    -   -   Color of dried seeds.—Greyed-Orange Group N167C.        -   Weight of well-developed dried seed.—0.29 mg per seed.        -   Length of well-developed dried seed.—0.18 cm.        -   Width of well developed dried seed.—0.10 cm.-   Resistance to diseases and insects: In a minimal spray program with    dormant sprays only, ‘Perpetua’ has had no fungal or bacterial    disease symptoms and no indication of problems with gall midge.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of blueberry plant,substantially as illustrated and described, characterized by its abilityto flower on new growth without any chilling; attractive combination offlowers and fruit in late summer and fall; dark green, glossy,attractive leaves; edible fruit; and vigorous and compact plant habit.